Emergency Preparedness

The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) performs a number of functions that ensure FDA’s preparedness for crises and emergencies involving or impacting FDA-regulated products.

These functions include the creation and updating of emergency response plans, conducting agency emergency exercises and coordinating the agency’s participation in emergency exercises sponsored by other Departments and agencies. OEM also coordinates Incident Command System training for agency emergency response staff which is critical to ensuring that FDA is compliant with the requirements of the National Response Framework and National Incident Management System and is in a constant state of readiness to participate in multi-agency emergency response efforts.

OEM also maintains an electronic incident management system which provides key agency officials timely awareness of public health issues involving FDA regulated products. As part of this system, OEM maintains and constantly enhances a geographic information system which can be utilized during emergencies to provide the agency situational awareness and a common operating picture.